Many of the people I am lucky enough to work with, do not realise just how powerful they are. They don’t see how much influence they have on the people and the world around them. “Me? No – I can’t make a difference. Not little me,” I hear them say.

I love working with people like that, because inside each one of us is unlimited power and potential. Let’s look at the global and international influence that you might not realise you have!

You Do Have the Power!

“You cannot take your freedoms for granted. Just like generations who have come before you, you have to do your part to preserve and protect those freedoms, you need to be preparing yourself to add your voice to our national conversation.”

Michele Obama

Many people feel very strongly about an issue, and also feel totally unable to do anything about it. Keep your eyes and ears open for examples of individual people living ordinary lives, making big changes, little by little, by standing up to be counted and by acting locally.

Alan Bates made a big difference for many who ran Post Offices and were wrongly charged with fraud. Donna Williams didn’t give up seeking change after her daughter Amber was abducted and murdered. Now there’s a standard protocol – The Amber Alert – used internationally, which is followed after child abductions. Legislation in England (Lucy’s Law) restricting the sale of puppies and kittens came about due to campaigning by Lisa Cameron. She adopted a spaniel, Lucy, who had been used for breeding on a puppy farm.

You don’t need to start out with an aim as big as changing the law. The influence of micro-local initiatives ,such as community gardens, neighbourhood healthy walking groups and letter writing campaigns can be inspiring examples of the difference each of us can make. You just need to take a small step toward change!

We live in a complex world that can sometimes seem chaotic and uncertain. Our local issues are played out on the national and global stage where you can also take action. Do you have concerns about:

• The environment, such as climate change and biodiversity?
• The treatment of migrants working in UK industries such as agriculture and the care sector?
• The plight of women trafficked into the UK?
• The effects of microplastics in our bodies or our food?
• The growing problem of fly-tipping?
• The fate of those setting out to cross the Channel in small boats?
• The questionable use of copyright materials in the AI field?
• The loss and closure of libraries, banks, post offices and other community resources?
• Victim’s rights in the plans for early release of offenders to reduce prison overcrowding?
• Israel’s campaign in Gaza?
• Support for homeless people?
• The lack of research funding for dementia research?
• Children spending less time outdoors and more time in front of screens?
• Where our food will come from, if more farmland is used for housing or carbon offsetting?
• The health and welfare of refugees escaping conflict zones and living in camps?
• The ethics of keeping wild animals in zoos and safari parks?
• The loss of green spaces in towns and cities?
• How the world is affected by Trump’s presidency?
• Benefit changes that could negatively affect vulnerable people and increase poverty?
• How to react to the ongoing war in Ukraine?

Most people are touched in some way by what is going on around them and can choose to do something about it too. Yes, even you!

Let’s look at just one of these issues in more detail. How does this affect you? How do you feel reading this? Could you make a difference?

Green Spaces in Towns and Cities

Parks and green spaces give us the chance to stay active, meet friends and take a moment for quiet reflection, vigorous exercise or family time. It’s no wonder that the availability of a local green space is directly linked to our sense of wellbeing and that they are estimated to save the NHS £111 million every year by reducing the number of GP visits we need.

They are the lungs of our towns and cities, absorbing pollutants and improving air quality. Providing habitats for a diverse range of wildlife and helping capture and store carbon dioxide, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and urban heat effects.

Yet in the UK, parks and green spaces are constantly under threat from construction, budget constraints, planning law as well as lack of awareness of their value.

Fields in Trust publish a Green Space Index every year, looking at data such as how much green space there is per person, how far away from it we are and its health and development. Here are some figures:

• The UK is the 8th most densely populated country in Europe, with 83% of its population in urban areas
• 3 million children in Britain under the age of nine (31%), live more than a ten-minute walk from the nearest playground
• 4,000 new parks are required by 2033 to maintain the current green space level per person
• On average, a single playground serves 376 children
• 3 million people live more than 10 minutes away from a park or green space
• Guidance for planners sets a minimum recommendation that for every 1,000 people there should be approximately 2.4 hectares of accessible green space
• The average amount of publicly accessible green space per person is 30 square metres
• Densely populated cities like London fall below the average, emphasizing the need for increasing urban green space to meet the needs of residents and promote a healthy living environment
• Only 7% of parks and green spaces in UK are legally protected.

Shocking Statistics?

I’m not sharing these green space numbers here to shock you. I am sharing them to get you thinking about issues that worry or upset you, over which you might have more influence that you believe. When you read the news or hear reports, which strike a chord with you? Which news stories make you angry or upset? What statistics do you find most disturbing? Which of the 20 national and global issues listed above really concern you? What small step or action could you make, right now, to get involved in an issue that is close to your heart?